Figure
1: Map of study area
Participants and setting
The researcher interviewed all research participants that belongs to
Sheka ethnic group and other clan leaders (Gebi tato) had identified as
”traditional forest-related knowledge experts,” i.e., persons recognized
by the Sheka community as knowledgeable about traditional forest-related
knowledge. Besides clan leaders (Gebi tato) and community elders of
Sheka people, the study has used additional potential informants from
governmental and non-governmental organizations (NGO). The researcher
has got permission from both the government office and traditional
committee lead by clan leaders (Gebi tato) association.
During identifying of informants’ clan leaders (Gebi tato) were
consented to select research participants in providing an appropriate
response to the research under investigation. Clan leaders (Gebi tato)
and older men whose age is above 50 years and native Sheka ethnic are
purposefully selected from members of the traditional committee. The
inclusion of the research participant for the interview was based on the
level of understanding of traditional forest-related knowledge of Sheka
people, as judged by a traditional committee.
In each village, the cultural practice of forest management (DEDO)
represented by a headman selected from among male adults; therefore, all
females and younger males were purposefully excluded from the study.
Younger men were not included in the interviews. This is mainly because
the culture of forest conservation practices of Sheka people was
forgotten for more than 30 years or longer, for this reason, only Clan
leaders (Gebi tato) and older men whose age is above 50 years were
purposefully selected.
The reason for the exclusion of female participants from the study is
the cultural practice of forest management (DEDO) represented by a
headman selected from among male adults only. The Clan leaders (Gebi
tato) and older men had experience of forest conservation culture
through traditional forest-related knowledge. Therefore, the likelihood
of the information they provided mostly reliable. Other criteria that
decide whether people who take part in the examination understudy are
their readiness to be met and their accessibility while the interviewer
was in the network.
All research participants were asked to review and sign a consent form
before conducting full interviews. The consent form described the nature
and purpose of the study. In the consent form, each informant was
notified that their response to the research question entirely
confidential and just individuals from the exploration group will
approach the data. No data published in dissertations or journals will
contain any information through which focus group members may be
identified. Their anonymity is therefore ensured. In addition to this,
the examination member may pull back from the investigation whenever
they, along these lines, take an interest wilfully until the point that
such time as they ask for something else.
Twenty participants volunteered for this study. This included ten Clan
leaders (Gebi tato) and older men from Masha woreda and the remaining
ten from Andracha woreda. All research participants were native Sheka
ethnic and lived in the study area for more than 40 years and above.
Clan leaders (Gebi tato) and older men were recruited from a member
traditional committee that was facilitated by a traditional committee.
All research participants were gathered for focus group discussions
through appointment in advance this was facilitated by a traditional
committee.
The most appropriate day was Saturday because it is a market day for
both Masha and Andracha woreda and afternoon was the most convenient
time for focus group discussion. This is due to after-market all the
research participants may come to Clan leaders (Gebi tato) home.
However, for an individual interview, the researcher uses the research
participant own schedule and needs to travel to their home by
appointment. All working hours and weekends were used for the individual
interviews.
With regard to their choice of the interview setting, in both woredas,
all focus group research participants had their first interview at Clan
leaders (Gebi tato) home but for an individual interview, the research
participants prefers to be interviewed in their own home. Interviews
with government and non-government organizations were held at their
respective offices during working hours by appointment. The arrangement
for research participant was done after giving them a brief introduction
about the nature and purpose of the study. During the interview, apart
from the researcher and the research participant, any other person was
not allowed to enter the room, and the door could be closed until the
interview was done.
Being a fluent Amharic and Shekinonoo speaker, the researcher took
advantage of his bilingual skills and conducted the interview in either
Amharic or Shekinonoo, depending on the preferences of the research
participant. In order to gain more credibility by research participants
the principal investigator hire the co-researcher that is a native and
first speaker of the Shekinonoo. The co-researcher was trained for three
to four hours about the goals and rationale of the study and interview
process and the interpreter’s role. The co-researcher helped in guiding
the principal investigator by organizing the interview and transcribing
the audio data.
A single interview lasted for one to two hours. The length of each
meeting relied upon the lucidity and detail of data that the examination
member enthusiastically gave. In order to avoid interruptions and
background noise, interviews were done in a closed room. Since the
practice of forest conservation and management is a little bit older
practice, the researcher, needs to patiently listen to the research
participant to recall that factual event (or story). Then, the
researcher must listen to the research participant to complete their
views and opinions on how was the culture and knowledge of Sheka people
that could serve as forest conservation and management practices that
are the key elements that need to be investigated.
Each informant was asked to discuss the factors that might cause the
forest cover change in their village. The interview was less structured
and open-ended. The aim was to let the research participant explain how
the culture of DEDO was used to manage and conserve the Sheka forest and
how they the research participant viewed the current expansion of
investment agriculture in their village.
The respondent’s views on the interview and FGD were audio recorded. The
audio recordings were converted to Amharic, written text data. In fact,
there were research participants with whom the researcher conducted the
interview and FGD in Shekinonoo as they preferred to be held in it even
if they knew Amharic very well. Therefore, part of the audio records
were converted into Shekinonoo written text. Then the transcribed
Shekinonoo and Amharic data were translated into English by the
researcher and an experienced translator who was fluent in Amharic and
Shekinonoo, in order to see its consistency.
Accordingly, the data were proven consistent. The translation was
context-based. It prioritized content over form because it is unlikely
to find a word for word concordance between the local languages and
English. Hence, the translation was made by finding equivalent meanings
that are rendered in word and deemed most appropriate in the English
language. Finally, the translated English text data were analyzed and
interpreted thematically.
Recruitment Process
Access in qualitative research refers to how a research investigator
going to gain access to the people he needs to interview. For
qualitative research that employs ethnographic methodology like this, it
is heavily dependent on key informants (community leaders and clan
leaders). The Sheka zone has organized a community leader and clan
leader for consolidate the tradition of the Sheka people. For any
research purpose, the information required in relation to the Sheka
people’s tradition is obtained from community elders and clan leaders
(Gebi tato). Accordingly, the zone administration allowed me to gain
access to make interviews with community elders and clan leaders (Gebi
tato).
This research employed criterion sampling for this study in line with an
ethnographic methodology that examines the shared patterns of behaviour,
convictions, and dialect inside a social gathering, and to do this
requires broadened times of perception by the researcher (Petty et al.,
2011). Criterion sampling involves reviewing and studying ‘all cases
that meet some predetermined criterion of importance’ (Patton, 2002, p.
238). To know the knowledge and practice of traditional forest-related
knowledge, there must be explicit inclusion/exclusion criteria that
include specifications for methodological rigor.
This required the direct participation of Sheka community elders and
clan leaders were sought for recruitment in order to investigate their
views on culture and practice on traditional forest-related knowledge.
Recruitment of participants was required in order to document the
traditional forest-related knowledge via semi-structured interviews. The
inclusion criteria for this study were as follows:
1. Consenting community elders and clan leaders (Gebi tato) currently
working in Sheka traditional committee. This ensured that all community
elders and clan leaders (Gebi tato) participants once had traditional
forest-related knowledge.
2. Consenting government officials who are currently working on
environment, forest, and climate change in the Sheka zone
3. Consenting government officials who are currently working in the
Sheka zone of the culture office
The study recruited participants from the community elders and clan
leaders (Gebi to) currently working in Sheka traditional committee from
the three zonal woreds (the largest administration unit zone). The study
recruits three kebeles (Kebele is the smallest administrative unit of
zone).
The main objectives of this research is
The Sheka people traditional knowledge of forest includes biodiversity
conservation and management of the Ororo tree. In the Ethnographic
analysis of the DEDO culture the study:
- Explain how indigenous ecological knowledge of Ororo tree could be
managed and conserved through the DEDO culture.
- Explore the spiritual connection between the Ororo trees and the Sheka
people traditional belief system.
Results
Today, deforestation is one of the major environmental challenges
affecting the world; however, the Sheka people through their indigenous
knowledge of forest conservation strategies can sustainably manage the
Sheka forest. The Sheka people have long been sustainably managing and
conserving the Sheka forest by utilizing different procedures.
Shockingly, these indigenous methods for normal asset administration and
nearby adjustment techniques are ordinarily absent from scientific
forest management and not archived. The DEDO culture demonstrates how
the Sheka people through their indigenous culture can provide valuable,
appropriate, and effective forest conservation strategies.
The study findings including the major themes and sub-themes emerging
from the data. Data obtained from two woredas in Sheka zone was derived
through purposive sampling technique in 2016-2017 to assess the impact
of traditional forest-related knowledge in environmental conservation.
Data were collected through a combination of interview and focus group
discussions with research participant and government officials.
Interviews were held with 20 research participants composed of
Clan leaders (Gebi tato) and older men drawn from 3 agricultural
investment in 2 local government areas in the Sheka zones.
Here under results of the analysis of ” the DEDO culture” are explained
in detail by considering key points
Table 1 Key points to consider during interviews about the sacred Ororo
tree (Ekebergia capensis ) and the DEDO conservation culture among
interviewees in selected villages